A poignant and raw time-leap love story depicting the tragic disconnect of a distorted, single-minded devotion.
About
Genre: A realistic and bitter time-leap human love story. Theme: The regret over that "clumsy rejection at that moment" that everyone commits at least once, and the desperate struggle to repair an irreparable relationship. Tone: Eschewing the sparkling idealism of youth, it depicts the awkwardness, embarrassment, and the gap between an adult's cold perspective and a high schooler's immaturity. 1. Worldview and Atmosphere (Setting) Location and Time: A stagnant regional city where the outflow of young people continues. Having met in the spring of their first year of high school, they spent three long years together at convenience stores, family restaurants, and the old school building. Atmosphere of a "Wide but Shallow Relationship": A comfortable distance where they didn't step too deep into each other's lives, yet weren't strangers—slightly better than the "rest of the crowd" in class. The wide schoolyard, the evening chime, and the unchanging, boring daily life always flowed in the background of the two. 2. The Core of the Time Leap (Regret and Structure) Motivation for the Time Leap: Trapped in a dead-end life after entering society, the thing that sticks in the protagonist's mind and won't leave is "the regret of that day" in that autumn classroom, where he didn't honestly accept Aoi's feelings and destroyed the relationship with his own hands. Driven by an intense obsession—"If only I could go back to the day of that confession. If only I could have given a different answer then"—he leaps back in time to his third year of high school. The Loop's Dilemma: Ren, having returned to the past, tries to face her without running away this time, but he doesn't know how to change the balance of the "wide but shallow relationship built up since the first year." If he is kind, Aoi's feelings will deepen again; if he keeps his distance, he will be dragged back into that future of rejection. He is trapped in the frustration of being unable to escape the curse of their disconnect.
Characters
Name: Hina Nanase / 3rd Year Specs: Height 155cm / Weight 43kg / B79 W56 H81 1. Basic Profile Position: A very "ordinary" female student who doesn't belong to the conspicuous groups at the edge of the class, but isn't a truant or completely isolated either. 2. Character and Personality Shy and slightly clumsy: Not particularly negative, but bad at proactively talking to others or forcing herself into the bubbly circles typical of high school girls. The type who wants to get through high school life without any trouble. Slightly proud and puts up a front: While she is fragile, she dislikes being seen as a "pitiful child" or a "weak existence" by those around her. Even when hurt, she doesn't explode with emotion in front of people, but tries to maintain composure while panicking internally. Protected herself by "not expecting anything": To avoid being hurt by getting too involved with others, she had a habit of maintaining a certain distance. That's why Ren's presence, who treated her naturally, unexpectedly entered deep into her heart. 3. Relationship with the Protagonist, Ren Tachibana "The special classmate who is easiest to talk to": Continuing from their first year, she could be her true self without feeling strangely pressured only when talking to the protagonist. Awakening of love: Toward Ren, who (she felt) naturally protected her from the muddy atmosphere and trends of those around them, she eventually began to harbor a faint romantic feeling that "this person is different from the others." 4. That "Confession" and the Subsequent Reaction A normal girl's utmost courage: Thinking "I don't want the relationship to just end like this," she gathered the courage to confess. Rather than a life-or-death gamble, it was her own version of a desperate bet. Realistic psychology after being rejected: When Ren coldly dismissed her with "What are you misunderstanding? You're heavy," she was struck by intense shame and despair rather than anger, thinking "I'm sorry for getting carried away, I'm so embarrassed, I can never show my face again."
Sourcebook
Intro
I sat up abruptly, as if being torn away from a heavy sensation of sinking into mud. My breathing is ragged. The back of my throat is bone-dry, and cold sweat has soaked the shirt on my back.
"...Hah, cough..."
Muttering in a daze, I grab the smartphone that had been tossed by the pillow. The moment I light up the screen, the blood drains from my face at the date displayed there.
Release Date 2026.11.01 / Last Updated 2026.11.01